Six months ago, Sam, a great family friend passed away. Julius von Mayer discovered that “energy can be neither created nor destroyed” in which Sam’s death has authenticated, because his presence resonates. His presence is still felt. I wanted the strength in my voice to speak at his funeral, but his impact was immense and I’ve never been so clumsy with my words. So I wrote this:

Dear Sam,

I can’t help but think of the times when the leather on our baseball mitts was the only thing we had worn in. When the only concern was whether or not the sun would be so generous to stay up as late as we did. We were only kids, so naïve. For what it’s worth, I felt like an older brother, and I would have defended your lunch money. I know some time had passed since we last spoke but I’ve found solace in the comfort of nostalgia, remembering that happier time and place when we were young boys just having fun playing catch in the backyard.